Rashiga graduated from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2014. During his undergraduate studies, he represented his alma mater locally and internationally. In 2013, he was part of a two-member team that won first place in the “CADEAGER 2013” CAD modeling competition organized by The Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka. In 2014, he was part of a four-member team that won the “CATIA Excellence Award” in a micro-mobility electric vehicle design competition organized by the Association for the Promotion of Electric Vehicles (Japan). The award ceremony was held at the Tokyo Motor Show 2014, and this achievement was recognized at the University of Moratuwa’s annual awards ceremony.
After graduating, Rashiga worked as a Design Engineer at VEGA Innovations for three years. At VEGA, he was among the initial team members involved in the design and manufacturing of Sri Lanka’s prototype electric sports car, which was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show 2020.
He then completed his Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering at KOREATECH (Korea University of Technology and Education) in Cheonan, South Korea (2017–2019). During his master’s degree, he worked on shape optimization of an air-compressor shaft assembly for a commercial fuel-cell electric vehicle.
Rashiga recently completed his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan, as a member of the High-Performance Powertrain Materials (HPPM) Laboratory under the supervision of Dr. Dimitry Sediako. His dissertation focused on developing the first academic gaseous in-situ hydrogen embrittlement testing infrastructure and applying it to characterize hydrogen-assisted damage in pipeline steels using service-relevant methods. This work included the development of a modular gas-management and mechanical testing framework and the evaluation of both a vintage CSA Z245.1 Grade 290 (G290) pipeline steel and two modern API 5L X60 pipeline steels using the newly developed infrastructure.
Rashiga is currently continuing this work as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the HPPM Laboratory and serves as the Lab Manager for the group, supporting day-to-day laboratory operations, training, and the ongoing development and expansion of the hydrogen testing infrastructure.
Throughout his career, he has developed strong interests and skills in finite element modeling, manufacturing, and sustainable transportation. In his leisure time, he enjoys camping, 3D modeling/visualization, and photography
Link to his PhD dissertation: https://open.library.ubc.ca/media/download/pdf/24/1.0451062/3